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A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell
4.0
This one is twisty. Lisa rents a spare room in a house owned by a couple (who become increasingly creepy) and discovers a suicide note (she calls it a goodbye note) in her room. To say Lisa has issues of her own would be understatement. She may have tried to commit suicide herself, she has scars from falling into a harvester when she was a child. She isn't in a good place.
What makes this an excellent read is the twists and turns, some of which you could see coming to be fair, but many you couldn't. Additionally, Lisa isn't quite honest with herself or the reader. This makes it a tricky book because who do you trust?
It is also about families and what makes a family or a relationship. What I did enjoy was how Mitchell addresses mental health and illness within the book. Lisa's ex boyfriend broke up with her because he had recently dealt with his mentally ill brother and did not feel strong enough to handle another loved one being in the same situation. While this could be seen as selfish by some, it is also him protecting his own mental health. The conversation between him and Lis about this felt very real and solid.
I really can't say any more because it will ruin the twists and turns. But this was an excellent way to start Halloween Bingo. That the square was called second made a good bonus.
What makes this an excellent read is the twists and turns, some of which you could see coming to be fair, but many you couldn't. Additionally, Lisa isn't quite honest with herself or the reader. This makes it a tricky book because who do you trust?
It is also about families and what makes a family or a relationship. What I did enjoy was how Mitchell addresses mental health and illness within the book. Lisa's ex boyfriend broke up with her because he had recently dealt with his mentally ill brother and did not feel strong enough to handle another loved one being in the same situation. While this could be seen as selfish by some, it is also him protecting his own mental health. The conversation between him and Lis about this felt very real and solid.
I really can't say any more because it will ruin the twists and turns. But this was an excellent way to start Halloween Bingo. That the square was called second made a good bonus.